The Regensburg Forum is an online public forum that exists to promote informed and scholarly dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Reformed Protestant traditions. Recognizing that online forums – especially blogs and social media – have become one of the most effective mediums for ongoing, thoughtful discussion, The Regensburg Forum exists to encourage conversations between Catholic and Reformed Christians on theological, philosophical, and historical issues of fundamental importance.
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“We need … no other goods except wine and flour for the holy sacrament”: Christian Kongo and Slavery - by Matthew Gaetano TRF has addressed Christian confrontations with slavery in the past (here, here, here). Kidnapping of West Africans or other raiding expeditions during the transatlantic slave trade of 12.5 million human beings did occur (and here). It is also true that the Portuguese and others purchased human beings already in some form of… Read More “We need … no other goods except wine and flour for the holy sacrament”: Christian Kongo and Slavery
Philo and Slavery - by Matthew Gaetano TRF has discussed Philo (here, here, here) and slavery (here, here) before. Here are two passages that combine these themes. Even though scholars debate whether Philo accurately presents these two first-century Jewish communities, we can see here the possibility of opposition to slavery in theory and practice in this context. In Every… Read More Philo and Slavery
Platonic Cities and Animal Kingdoms: Reviews of Stephen R. L. Clark - by Andrew Kuiper Stephen R. L. Clark. Cities and Thrones and Powers: Towards a Plotinian Politics. Brooklyn: Angelico Press, 2022. 328 pp., $22.95. Stephen R. L. Clark. How the Worlds Became: Philosophy & the Oldest Stories. Brooklyn: Angelico Press, 2023. 340 pp., $19.95. There has never been a time when Plato’s dialogues lacked readers interested… Read More Platonic Cities and Animal Kingdoms: Reviews of Stephen R. L. Clark
Two strange “ecumenical” moments - by Matthew Gaetano I was talking with a student a couple of days ago, and we discussed two fascinating moments where figures across the Christians confessions were being linked together in rather unusual ways. The first is John Adams’s letter to Thomas Jefferson on 16 July 1814. He expresses his belief that “the Christian Religion… Read More Two strange “ecumenical” moments
Does Original Sin Really Explain Infant Baptism? An Old Debate - by Joshua Shaw A debate raged in the last century between two (Protestant and) German scholars by the names Kurt Aland and Joachim Jeremias.[i] There has since been at least one colossal undertaking on the evidence regarding baptism from 2nd Temple Judaism to the 4th and 5th centuries of the church.[ii] The contention was whether… Read More Does Original Sin Really Explain Infant Baptism? An Old Debate
D. A. Schlatter (1852-1938) on Catholics and Protestants - by Joshua Shaw D. A. Schlatter is, to my mind, the most underrated Protestant theologian of the last century. I am tempted to compare him to other great Protestant figures of the 19th and 20th century, but he would rebuke me. We introduced him and a characteristic element of his theology and thinking in a… Read More D. A. Schlatter (1852-1938) on Catholics and Protestants
Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 2): “Predestination will shine” from “the wounds of Christ” - Here is the rest of Martin Luther’s discussion on predestination in his lecture on Genesis 26:9 (Concordia ed., vol. 5, pp. 46-50) (continued from here): But you will say: “I cannot believe.” Thus many are troubled by this trial, and I recall that at Torgau a little woman came to me and complained with tears… Read More Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 2): “Predestination will shine” from “the wounds of Christ”
Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 1) - I’m thankful for the engagement on the previous post. Calvinists and Lutherans argued for decades – perhaps centuries – about whether De servo arbitrio or On the Bondage of the Will (1525) supported their side of the debate over predestination for decades. Here are a couple of a major Reformed figures in Reformed orthodoxy (p.… Read More Luther and Predestination – Genesis Lectures (part 1)
“Not many were powerful” (1 Cor. 1:26) - In light of the reflections of religious persecution last week, I had a rich discussion today about our confidence in the power of the proclamation of the Gospel. This confidence in preaching also came to mind because today is 793rd anniversary of the death of the famous Franciscan preacher, Anthony of Padua (or Lisbon). Moreover,… Read More “Not many were powerful” (1 Cor. 1:26)
Religious Freedom in the Early Modern Period (part 1) - by Matthew Gaetano TRF hosted some interesting debates about religious freedom, the Second Vatican Council, and the development of doctrine back in 2017. For the last several years, there has been quite a lot of debate about Integralism, Christian nationalism, and other post-liberal (or often pre-liberal!) approaches to state and society. Back in 2019, Pater… Read More Religious Freedom in the Early Modern Period (part 1)
Luther and Predestination - Quite a topic for a Friday in June! I was digging around for something in Martin Luther’s Table Talk – informal remarks of the reformer to his students, friends, etc. – and stumbled upon this passage from Spring 1533 (vol. 54 of Concordia Edition, p. 87, no. 502): Concerning the statement, “It depends not upon… Read More Luther and Predestination
“All things laugh”: Martin Luther and Christmas - by Matthew Gaetano The appreciation of the celebration of Christmas varied among the early Reformers. Bruce Gordon touches on some of that history here, though see R. Scott Clark’s account here as well. Martin Luther’s love of the festival was particularly strong, as can be seen in his Christmastide sermons of 1544. Within a couple… Read More “All things laugh”: Martin Luther and Christmas